The song lyrics were written by the band Van Halen, as they were asked to write a song for the 1979 movie "Over the Edge" starring Matt Dillon. The movie (and the lyrics, although more obliquely) are about bored, rebellious youth with nothing better to do than get into trouble. If you see the movie, these lyrics will make more sense. It's a great movie if you grew up in the 70s/80s you'll definitely remember some of these characters from your own life. Fun fact, after writing the song, Van Halen decided not to let the movie use it.
Life in 360 degrees
I'm just one of the busy bees
Buzzing in time to the one two threes
Doing heavy lifting that destroyed my knees
Kids today they never say please
But todays angry youth ain't angry enough for me
I'm being all I can be on a working mans salary
I belong in a factory
Maybe one day I'll take a day off or three
And I'll build you a house in a tree
So you can look down as the factory con-
Sumed me
In due time you will come to see
There is nothing wrong with you
That's not wrong with me
With everybody here stepping on my beard
It's a wonder that both ends always meet
But we separate the chaff from the wheat
Todays middle class is just so bourgeoisie
And I'm picking up my disease
On my working mans salary
I belong in a factory
Maybe one day I'll get my foreman to see
That productivity is going up in the factory be-
Cause of me
Once I was led to believe that you'd return
And come back to me
Working the earth and planting our seeds
Growing alfalfa, carrots and peas
Now my heart it just bleeds
And bleeds and bleeds
Ever since you felt the need to open your mouth
And sneeze all over my working mans salary
I belong in a factory
Maybe one day when it's under lock and key
We can start a colony
For people who used to be people in the factory
Like me
Let's hear it for the factory
The only thing that understood me truly
Made a factory man out of me
Three cheers for the factory
Go factory
I'm just one of the busy bees
Buzzing in time to the one two threes
Doing heavy lifting that destroyed my knees
Kids today they never say please
But todays angry youth ain't angry enough for me
I'm being all I can be on a working mans salary
I belong in a factory
Maybe one day I'll take a day off or three
And I'll build you a house in a tree
So you can look down as the factory con-
Sumed me
In due time you will come to see
There is nothing wrong with you
That's not wrong with me
With everybody here stepping on my beard
It's a wonder that both ends always meet
But we separate the chaff from the wheat
Todays middle class is just so bourgeoisie
And I'm picking up my disease
On my working mans salary
I belong in a factory
Maybe one day I'll get my foreman to see
That productivity is going up in the factory be-
Cause of me
Once I was led to believe that you'd return
And come back to me
Working the earth and planting our seeds
Growing alfalfa, carrots and peas
Now my heart it just bleeds
And bleeds and bleeds
Ever since you felt the need to open your mouth
And sneeze all over my working mans salary
I belong in a factory
Maybe one day when it's under lock and key
We can start a colony
For people who used to be people in the factory
Like me
Let's hear it for the factory
The only thing that understood me truly
Made a factory man out of me
Three cheers for the factory
Go factory
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This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
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Agree with this, with the addition that it seems to address the people of leisure who "open your mouth and sneeze all over my working mans salary," because in his situation doesn't have the time/money to be artistic or intellectual. I think the person he's talking to might be equally poor, but underemployed; a grimy steelworker trying to tell a pierced barista they aren't so different.